Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes

You guys, guess what?! It’s pumpkin spice latte season! You can count on one or two PSL inspired recipes heading your way between now and October 31st. In the spirit of the season, I thought I’d hand over my coveted recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Not to toot my own horn or anything (well, maybe a little), but these are a billion times better than Starbucks. Let’s look at a few reasons why…

First, these puppies are made from 100% natural ingredients. I heard tell that Starbs switched tactics recently and now uses “real” pumpkin in their PSLs, but it’s still only a small percentage of their famous pumpkin spice sauce. And in case you were wondering, the other ingredients in that sauce are sugar, condensed skim milk, 2% fruit and vegetable juice for colour, natural flavours, annatto, salt, and potassium sorbate (source). Delicious?

I’ll take the natural pumpkin flavour, please – hold the sorbate.

Second, these Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes contain absolutely no refined sugar. Unlike Starbucks’ PSLs, which contain 50 grams of added sugar (per grande sized bevvy), I used pure maple syrup to sweeten the coffee. You can also adjust the sweetness according to your preference, so you’re always in control of how much sugar enters your body. #win

Third, you don’t need a fancy espresso maker to enjoy this PSL. I don’t own one and likely never will. It’s not an object I can see myself needing, and I only have room enough in my tiny flat for the necessities. For these lattes, I used instant espresso powder – the same one I use to flavour my Espresso Protein Truffles and No-Bake Espresso Cheesecake.

It’s important to use espresso powder, not instant coffee granules. Espresso powder is finer, has a richer flavour, and dissolves into the latte easier than the granules. This is the one that I use.

And last but by no means least, Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes are incredibly delicious. As if this needs to be said, but homemade is so much better than store-bought. The natural flavour of the pumpkin purée mixed with the usual blend of comforting autumnal spices and maple syrup creates a cosy cup you’ll want to sip underneath a blanket in your fuzzy socks. It’s slightly thicker in consistency than the PSL you’re used to, reminiscent of a thick homemade hot chocolate, but it glides down smoothly, warming you up from the inside out.

I hope you love this vegan Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe, friends! It’s creamy, cosy, and a wonderful way to treat yourself during these colder autumn months.